Ahh, Rothenburg! It is the quaintest and possibly best-preserved walled medieval town in the world (OK, maybe just Germany, but, still). I would say it is also the epitome of medieval German cuteness, and it was a bit of a "homecoming" for me, since I had visited the town with The Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus in 1986! It was every bit as charming as I remembered. After several photo opportunities, including my signature angled selfie, I headed straight to Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, which I had also visited in 1986. Twenty-eight years ago I had bought my parents a nutcracker Christmas tree ornament, and this year, I wanted to buy ornaments for my parents, my sister's family and me! A very sweet lady pointed me in the direction of the Kathe Wohlfahrt exclusive wooden ornaments, and I grabbed two for each household.
Before we left Rothenburg on this very brief, but worthwhile excursion, our local guide, Jan, made sure we were able to witness the Meistertrunk Show. At the top of the hour, in this case 17:00, two windows on either side of the 1466 clock of the Councilors' Tavern opened, and two wooden figures each "drank" a three-liter tankard of wine. This reenactment was created to commemorate an historical event that supposedly occurred in 1631 in Rothenburg. According to legend, after Rothenburg was conquered by a Catholic army, the mayor offered the conquering general a tankard of wine as a peace offering. After the general drank the three liters of wine, he enjoyed the wine so much, that he offered to spare the town if the mayor could drink three liters in one gulp. The mayor effortlessly accomplished the task, and the town was saved. Of course, this story was invented in the late 1800s for a play that was being performed to promote the romanticism of Rothenburg.
